Beverage brewing system and method of use

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for brewing a beverage, which includes an elongated member having a plurality of disks stacked along an axis of the elongated member; a filter having at least one slot and adapted to fit over the plurality of disks; and an elongated housing member having first and second slots on opposite sides of the elongated housing member, wherein the elongated housing member is adapted to fit over the filter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of brewed beverages, and,more particularly, to a novel and improved beverage brewing system andmethod of use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For years, drip-type electric brewing machines have been used as anefficient means for making coffee. In general, these electric coffeebrewing machines include a cold water reservoir, an electric resistanceheating element for heating the water, and a reusable plastic brewbasket for holding ground coffee or coffee granules in a paper coffeefilter. To make coffee, cold water is poured into the water reservoirand ground coffee is placed in a coffee filter, which is in turn placedin the brew basket. The cold water is heated by the electric heatingelement, and the heated water then saturates the ground coffee. Thebrewed coffee then drips out into a receiving vessel, e.g., a coffeepot, a coffee cup, and the like, which is positioned below the brewbasket. After brewing is complete, the paper filter and used coffeegrounds are usually taken out of the plastic brew basket and discarded.Then, the brew basket and coffee pot are cleaned for re-use.

While such drip coffee makers are relatively fast and efficient, theprocess of cleaning the plastic brew basket and coffee pot after eachuse is time consuming. Moreover, if the brew basket and coffee pot arenot cleaned regularly, the quality and taste of the brewed coffee iscompromised. A related problem occurs when such drip coffee makers areused to brew flavored coffee. Unless the brew basket and coffee pot arecleaned thoroughly, the taste and strong scent of flavored coffee tendsto linger in the brew basket and coffee pot and can be detected whenthese components are reused to brew coffee of a different flavor.

While these types of coffee makers and hot beverage makers have existedfor quite some time, a relatively new market development has beencreated for single serve beverage appliances. Such machines are alldesigned to quickly brew a single cup of coffee or tea at a time. In theUnited States, the most widely available of these is made by KeurigCompany, in which coffee grounds are filled into single-serving podscalled K-Cups®. The user inserts a K-Cup® into the machine, places acoffee cup or mug under the spout, and presses an actuation button toallow hot water to be dispensed through the K-Cup®. The K-Cup® forms aninternal brewing volume, and allows for sufficient mixing and steepingtime to form a brewed beverage before being filtered and dispensed intothe mug. In this manner, a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate isprepared. By omitting the K-cup®, users can also prepare a mug of hotwater, which can then be dispensed for use in making hot cocoa, tea,instant soup, or other hot drinks directly within the mug.

Similar single serve beverage devices are provided by Flavia® BeverageSystems (a division of Mars, Incorporated), Nespresso™ (of NestleNespresso S.A., an operating unit of the Nestle Group), Senseo® coffeebrewing system from Dutch companies Philips and Douwe Egberts, asubsidiary of Sara Lee Corporation), and the Tassimo® Hot BeverageSystem (developed by Kraft Foods, Inc.), just to name a few.

These single server beverage machines alleviate some of the problemsindicated above with respect to the time consuming process of cleaningthe plastic brew basket and coffee pot after each use of the moretraditional electric brewing machines. However, these single servebeverage machines lack the ability to brew coffee specific to the user'staste at a temperature desired by the user. Moreover, the design ofthese single serve beverage machines cause the coffee granules toimmediately float to the top of the water before clotting, which resultsin the coffee granules clumping at the surface and a dramatic loss offlavor during the brewing process.

There is therefore a need for a beverage brewing system and method ofuse that overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks ofprior beverage brewing systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a beverage brewing system and method of use.The beverage brewing system is preferably used to brew or preparebeverages such as, but not limited to coffee, tea, hot chocolate, andthe like. The terms “brew” and “brewing” are used throughout thisspecification in connection with preparing beverages such as coffee,tea, and hot chocolate. As such, the terms “brew” and “brewing” shallrefer to any commonly known method or process for creating and/orpreparing a beverage using a liquid. For example, hot chocolate isgenerally dissolved in hot water; however, for the purposes of thisdisclosure, the process of dissolving hot chocolate granules shall beconsidered “brewing” hot chocolate, without limiting the scope of theinvention.

The beverage brewing system preferably comprises three elements: (i) anelongated member having disks stacked along the vertical axis of theelongated member; (ii) a porous member or filter; and (iii) a tubular oran elongated housing member. The beverage brewing system of the presentinvention and its method of use may be utilized to quickly andefficiently brew a more flavorful beverage at a desired temperature.This is done by preventing the granules used to brew the beverage fromfloating to the surface of the water, clumping together, and clotting atthe surface of the water. Instead, the beverage brewing system of thepresent invention causes the granules to remain entirely immersed withinthe water through the entire brewing process. For example, the granulesremain entirely submerged within the water during the floating stage,the brewing stage, and finally the clotting stage.

Moreover, the beverage brewing system of the present invention may beused to brew a beverage at a desired strength by providing a system thatallows a user to measure the amount of granules to add to the beveragebrewing system. For example, it is contemplated that a guide or scalemay be provided on the exterior surface of the tubular member to assistthe user in determining a particular number of disks to fill withgranules of the beverage to be brewed in order to brew a beverage at adesired strength.

Once the disks of the beverage brewing system of the present inventionare filled with granules and the beverage brewing system is submergedinto a container of water, the water circulates through the beveragebrewing system thereby distributing the flavor of the granules into thewater. Once a beverage has been brewed using the beverage brewing systemof the present invention, the system may then be cleaned, stored, andsubsequently reused at a later time.

Moreover, the beverage brewing system of the present invention may beused as a scoop to fill the disks. For example, the beverage brewingsystem of the present invention may be dipped into a container ofgranules, whereby the granules are subsequently scooped onto the surfaceof the disks. The beverage brewing system of the present invention mayalso be used as a stirrer in order to facilitate the brewing process. Itshould be understood that the beverage brewing system of the presentinvention may be implemented with any container adapted to hold aliquid. It should also be understood that any type of heat source may beused to heat the liquid.

In a first non-limiting aspect of the invention, an apparatus forbrewing a beverage is provided. The apparatus comprises an elongatedmember having a plurality of disks stacked along an axis of theelongated member; a filter having at least one slot and adapted to fitover the plurality of disks; and a tubular housing member having firstand second slots on opposite sides of the tubular housing member,wherein the tubular housing member is adapted to fit over the filter.

In a second non-limiting aspect of the invention, an apparatus forbrewing a beverage is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality ofdisks spaced apart along an elongated member; a filter having at leastone slot, wherein the filter fits over the plurality of disks; and anelongated housing member having at least one first slot and at least onesecond slot, wherein the elongated housing member fits over the filter.

In a third non-limiting aspect of the invention, a method for brewing abeverage using an apparatus comprising an elongated member, a pluralityof disks, a filter, and an elongated housing member is provided. Themethod preferably comprises the steps of separating the tubular housingmember from a base of the apparatus to reveal at least one of theplurality of disks; filling at least one of the disks of the pluralityof disks with granules; coupling the elongated housing member to thebase of the apparatus; applying heat to a liquid; and submerging atleast a portion of the apparatus into the liquid.

In a fourth non-limiting aspect of the invention, a filter assembly isprovided. The filter assembly comprises an elongated member, wherein theelongated member is constructed from a water permeable material; and aslot is provided along a portion of a length of the elongated member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference toa preferred embodiment set forth in the illustrations of theaccompanying drawings. Although the illustrated embodiment is merelyexemplary of systems and methods for carrying out the invention, boththe organization and method of operation of the invention, in general,together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be moreeasily understood by reference to the drawings and the followingdescription. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of thisinvention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims asappended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplifythe invention.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is nowmade to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the components of a beverage brewing systemaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the components of a beverage brewing systemaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a beverage brewing system in a firstposition according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage brewing system of FIG.3 in a second position according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a beverage brewing system implemented with acup according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the brewing process implemented by abeverage brewing system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a top and a side view of an embodiment of a porous memberaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a beverage brewing system implemented with afirst vessel according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a beverage brewing system implemented with asecond vessel according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a beverage brewing system implemented with athird vessel according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention may be understood more readily by reference to thefollowing detailed description of preferred embodiment of the invention.However, techniques, systems and operating structures in accordance withthe invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, someof which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment.Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosedherein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed toafford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide abasis for the claims herein, which define the scope of the invention. Itmust be noted that, as used in the specification and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referentsunless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Referring now to the figures, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements throughout, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of beveragebrewing system 100 comprising three components. Specifically, beveragebrewing system 100 preferably comprises an elongated member 101, aporous member or filter 106, and a tubular or an elongated housingmember 110.

Elongated member 101 comprises a plurality of disks 102 stacked along avertical axis 103 of elongated member 101. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,approximately twenty disks 102 are provided along the vertical axis 103of elongated member 101. However, it should be appreciated that anynumber of disks 102 may be implemented without limiting the scope of theinvention. Each disk 102 preferably comprises an aperture (not shown)centrally located and adapted to receive elongated member 101. Thediameter of each aperture (not shown) of each disk 102 is adapted to beslightly larger than the diameter of elongated member 101 so that eachdisk 102 may be securely held in place. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, eachdisk 102 is preferably flat and extends circumferentially about thevertical axis 103 of elongated member 101. Moreover, elongated member101 and disks 102 may be formed as one molded component, i.e., frommolded glass, plastic, metal, any suitable synthetic material, and thelike.

Elongated member 101 also comprises an attachment member 104. Attachmentmember 104 preferably extends from the bottom portion of elongatedmember 101 as one molded component. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,attachment member 104 comprises two prongs 118 and 120 and a cavity 122disposed therebetween. As will be described below, prongs 118 and 120are preferably used to snap fit into base 108 of porous member 106.

It should be appreciated that elongated member 101, disks 102, andattachment member 104 may all be molded together as one component,without limiting the scope of the invention. Moreover, elongated member101, disks 102, and attachment member 104 may comprise any glass,plastic, metal, any synthetic material, and the like suitable forheating. Particularly, such material is suitable to withstandtemperatures commonly reached during the brewing of coffee, tea, hotchocolate, and the like. Such suitable glass is Pyrex®, gorilla® glass,and the like.

Elongated member 101 may optionally be a thermometer. Moreover, it iscontemplated that elongated member 101 may be a circular thermometer,whereby when it is submerged in a liquid the temperature of that liquidis indicated via a display. Circular thermometers are well known andtherefore will not be discussed further. It is also contemplated thatany type of thermometer may be used in conjunction with beverage brewingsystem 100 in order to determine the temperature of the liquid duringthe brewing process. Providing a means for determining the temperatureof the liquid during the brewing process, allows a user to brew abeverage (i.e., coffee, tea, hot chocolate and the like) at a desiredtemperature.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, elongated member 101 is preferably placedinside porous member or filter 106. Porous member 106 is preferablycylindrically shaped to fit over disks 102. Specifically, it iscontemplated that porous member 106 be long enough to cover disks 102when elongated member 101 is disposed within porous member 106. Porousmember 106 preferably comprises a water permeable material, such asfilter paper, so that during the brewing process, water may enter andexit porous member 106. Moreover, porous member 106 may comprise anymaterial commonly used for brewing a beverage, such as coffee, tea, andthe like. It is further contemplated that porous member 106 may compriseany plastic, metal, or synthetic material that may be designed toperform the function of a traditional beverage brewing filter. That is,porous member 106 preferably comprises a material that is suitable toallow water to pass through it while at the same time is capable ofpreventing coffee granules or tea granules from exiting. The diameter ofporous member 106 is preferably slightly larger than the diameter ofdisks 20 so that porous member 106 forms a precise fit over disks 20when elongated member 101 is placed inside porous member 106. It shouldalso be appreciated that porous member 106 is capable of being bothreusable and replaceable.

Extending from the bottom portion of porous member 106 is a base 108.Base 108 may be coupled to porous member 106 by any means, withoutlimiting the scope of the invention. To couple elongated member 101 toporous member 106, elongated member is placed inside porous member 106and slid down the length of porous member 106 until attachment member104 is securely attached to base 108. More specifically, to coupleattachment member 104 to base 108, prongs 118 and 120 of attachmentmember 104 preferably snap fit into grooves (not shown) disposed withinbase 108. However, it should be understood that any commonly knownmethod for attaching elongated member 101 to porous member 106 may beimplemented, without liming the invention.

While one method for coupling elongated member 101 and porous member 106has been shown and described, it should be appreciated that there areseveral methods that may be implemented, without limiting the scope ofthe invention. For example, it is contemplated that base 108 may beprovided at the bottom portion of elongated member 101, whereby porousmember 106 is placed over the top portion of elongated member 101 anddown over disks 102 until porous member 106 reaches base 108. Byemploying this method, porous member 106 is coupled to elongated member101 via a precision or frictional fit over disks 102, whereby the tightfit between porous member 106 and disks 102 securely holds porous member106 over disks 102.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an elongated slot 200 is preferablyprovided along a portion of the exterior surface of porous member 106.Elongated slot 200 is provided along a substantial portion of the lengthof porous member 106, e.g., more than half the length of porous member106, and ranges from about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees wide. While aparticular length and width of slot 200 has been disclosed, it should beappreciated that the length and width of slot 200 may vary outside ofthe given range, without limiting the scope of the invention. As will beexplained in more detail below, elongated slot 200 provides access todisks 102 so that a user may easily fill the appropriate amount of disks102 with coffee, tea, or chocolate granules.

Further as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, once elongated member 101 has beencoupled to porous member 106 or vice versa, the coupled components areplaced through opening 124 and inside tubular housing member 110,whereby tubular housing member 110 is coupled to base 108. Any commonlyused coupling means, including but not limited to a snap fit, a threadedfit, and the like, may be implemented to couple the bottom portion oftubular housing member 110 to base 108, without limiting the scope ofthe invention. The diameter of tubular housing member 110 is larger thanthe diameter of porous member 106 so that tubular housing member 110 mayfit over porous member 106. Moreover, tubular housing member 110 may beconstructed from the same or similar materials as elongated member 101and disks 102, which is suitable for heating, i.e., glass (e.g., Pyrex®,gorilla®, etc.), plastic, metal, any suitable synthetic material, andthe like.

Tubular housing member 110 is preferably elongated along a vertical axis111 and is cylindrical in shape. Tubular housing member 110 preferablycomprises an opening 124 at one end, which is adapted to receiveelongated member 101 and porous member 106. Moreover, tubular housingmember 110 preferably comprises a plurality of slots 112 on one side,wherein slots 112 are provided along vertical axis 111. As shown in FIG.1, slots 112 are preferably oriented diagonally across the exteriorsurface of tubular housing member 110. The diagonal orientation of slots112 serves to facilitate the circulation of water through beveragebrewing system 100. For example, heating water causes it to risenaturally towards the surface. As shown in FIG. 5, as the hot waterrises, it naturally flows up through diagonal slots 112 and intobeverage brewing system 100.

Tubular housing member 110 also preferably comprises an elongated slotor window 114 above slots 112, which may be used to view elongatedmember or thermometer 101. It is contemplated that a user may use thecombination of elongated slot 114 and scale of temperatures 116 printedon the external surface of tubular housing member 110 to determine thetemperature of a liquid being brewed by beverage brewing system 100.This feature allows a user to brew a beverage (i.e., coffee, tea, hotchocolate and the like) at a desired temperature.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an elongated slot 202 is provided along aportion of the exterior surface of tubular housing member 110. Elongatedslot 202 is preferably provided on the side opposite, i.e., about 180degrees, from slots 112 and elongated slot 114. Elongated slot 202 isalso preferably provided along a substantial portion of the length oftubular housing member 110, e.g., more than half the length of tubularhousing member 110, and ranges from about 30 degrees to about 90 degreeswide. While a particular length and width of slot 202 has beendisclosed, it should be appreciated that the length and width of slot202 may vary outside of the given range, without limiting the scope ofthe invention. As will be explained in more detail below, elongated slot202 provides access to disks 102 so that a user may easily fill theappropriate amount of disks 102 with coffee tea, and/or chocolategranules. Slot 202 is also provided to facilitate the free flow of waterthrough beverage brewing system 100. For example, it is contemplatedthat during the brewing process, water enters beverage brewing system100 via slots 112, flows through one end of porous member 106, where itcomes into contact with the granules, continues through the opposite endof porous member 106, and finally exits beverage brewing system 100 viaslot 202.

As will be described below, beverage brewing system 100 allows a user touse disks 102 to measure the appropriate amount of coffee, tea, and/orchocolate granules required to brew coffee, tea, and/or hot chocolate ata desired strength and with a desired flavor. Furthermore, as will beexplained below, it is believed that beverage brewing system 100, viathe implementation of disks 102, maximizes the flavor of the beverage,e.g., coffee, tea, and/or hot chocolate, that is brewed. Morespecifically, it is believed that disks 102 prevent the granules fromfloating to the surface of the liquid so that all the granules areutilized during the brewing process.

The following describes the method of preparing beverage brewing system100 for brewing a beverage. In the following example, the beverage beingbrewed is coffee; however, it should be appreciated that this inventioncan be used to brew any beverage that can be brewed using the same orsimilar process, without limiting the scope of the invention. Startingwith beverage brewing system 100 in the closed position 204, a userfirst raises tubular housing member 110 from base 108 by either twistingtubular housing member 110 relative to base 108 or simply pulling thetwo members apart. Once uncoupled, the user may then raise tubularhousing member 110 to reveal the appropriate amount of disks 102necessary to achieve the user's desired strength of coffee brewed whenthose disks are filled with coffee granules. To assist the user indetermining the amount of disks 102 to fill, it is contemplated thatbeverage brewing system 100 may comprise a guide (not shown) printed onthe exterior surface of tubular housing member 110 to assist the user indetermining the amount of disks 102 to fill with coffee granules basedon the strength of coffee desired by the user.

As an alternate method of preparing to fill beverage brewing system 100with coffee granules, instead of raising tubular housing member 110 frombase 108, the user may align elongated slot 200 of porous member 106 andelongated slot 202 of tubular housing member 110 to reveal a clear pathto disks 102. The slots may be aligned by rotating base 108, whichcauses porous member 106 to rotate relative to tubular housing member110. Moreover, it is contemplated that a marking (not shown) may beprovided on base 108 and a marking (not shown) may be provided ontubular housing member 110, in order to assist the user in aligningelongated slot 200 with elongated slot 202, wherein vertically aligningthe two markings indicates that elongated slots 200 and 202 are aligned.The proper alignment may be better understood upon reviewing FIG. 3,which illustrates a cross-sectional view of beverage brewing system 100.

After either the user has raised tubular housing member 110 to thedesired height or aligned elongated slots 200 and 202 as just described,beverage brewing system 100 is prepared to receive coffee granules ontodisks 102. One method for filling disks 102 is to use beverage brewingsystem 100 as a scoop, whereby the user may dip beverage brewing system100 directly into coffee granules and scoop them onto exposed disks 102.Another method for filling disks 102 is to scoop the coffee granulesonto disks 102 using any appropriate utensil, e.g., a spoon.

After the desired amount of coffee granules has been scooped onto theappropriate amount of disks 102, the user may proceed to the next stepin preparing beverage brewing system 100 for brewing coffee. Moreparticularly, if the user raised tubular housing member 110 to filldisks 102, then the user may now lower tubular housing member 110 tobase 108. In the next step of preparing beverage brewing system 100 forbrewing, the user is to rotate porous member 106, via base 108, relativeto tubular housing member 110 so that elongated slot 200 is spaced about90 degrees from slots 112 and about 90 degrees from elongated slot 202,as shown in FIG. 4. The proper alignment may be better understood uponreviewing FIG. 4, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of beveragebrewing system 100. As shown in FIG. 4, after porous member 106 isproperly rotated relative to tubular housing member 110, elongated slot200 is spaced about 90 degrees from slots 112 and about 90 degrees fromelongated slot 202. While not required, it is believed that thispreferred orientation allows water to pass efficiently through beveragebrewing system 100 during the brewing process. This orientation ispreferred because it allows water to enter beverage brewing system 100,via porous member 106, contact the coffee granules, and exit throughporous member 106 and slot 202 of beverage brewing system 100. In theprocess of spacing elongated slot 200 about 90 degrees from slots 112 orupon completing such alignment, it is also contemplated that the usermay couple tubular housing member 110 to base 108. It should beunderstood that tubular housing member 110 may be coupled to base 108via a snap fit, threaded fit, or any other commonly known method usedfor coupling like components.

While it has been disclosed that elongated slot 200 is preferably spacedabout 90 degrees from slots 112, it should be appreciated that elongatedslot 200 may be spaced any appropriate distance from elongated slots112, without limiting the scope of the invention.

Moreover, it is contemplated that a marking or arrow 502 (FIG. 5) may beprovided on base 108 and a marking or vertical line 504 (FIG. 5) may beprovided on tubular housing member 110, in order to assist the user inaligning elongated slot 200 about 90 degrees from slots 112, whereinvertically aligning the two markings 502 and 504 indicates thatelongated slot 200 and slots 112 are spaced about 90 degrees apart.

The following describes the method of brewing a beverage after beveragebrewing system 100 has been filled with coffee granules. After the userhas filled the desired amount of disks 102 with coffee granules,beverage brewing system 100 is then inserted into any vessel 500, 800(FIG. 8), 900 (FIG. 9), and 1000 (FIG. 10) or any other appropriatevessel, containing water. The water may be hot or cold. Moreover, thewater may be heated from any commonly known means used for heatingwater, such as but not limited to, heat from a microwave, heat from agas or electric range, heat from an open flame, etc. It is believed thatonce inserted into preferably hot water, beverage brewing system 100brews the coffee by first receiving water through slots 112. Becauseheated water rises to the surface, it is believe that heated water 508naturally flows in an upward direction into slots 112 of tubular housingmember 110, as shown, via water flow lines 506, in FIG. 5. It is alsobelieved that water 508 passes into porous member 106 and into contactwith the coffee granules. There, it is believed that, water 508interacts with and flows past coffee granules, filters out throughporous member 106, and finally flows out of beverage brewing system 100,via slot 202, and back into vessel 500, as shown, via water flow lines506, in FIG. 5. It is believed that water 508 continuously circulatesthrough beverage brewing system 100 in a similar manner until the userremoves beverage brewing system 100 from vessel 500, at which point thebrewing process is complete. Utilizing a thermometer as elongated member101 allows the user to brew a beverage at a specific desired temperaturein a desired amount of time. It is contemplated that the user can brew abeverage at a desired temperature by monitoring the temperature of thewater, via the thermometer, as the beverage is being brewed andadjusting the heat accordingly.

It is further contemplated that beverage brewing system 100 may be usedas a beverage stirrer, whereby the user continuously stirs beveragebrewing system 100 in a vessel containing heated water. Stirringbeverage brewing system 100 in a vessel containing heated or hot watercauses the beverage to brew faster, because it is believed that thestirring action accelerates the circulation of water through beveragebrewing system 100. It is also contemplated that beverage brewing system100 may be used to as a stirrer to brew iced coffee, iced tea, and anyother iced brewed beverage much the same way it would be used to brewhot brewed beverages.

Turning now to FIG. 6, elongated member 101 of beverage brewing system100 is illustrated. More specifically, what is believed to be theinteraction between water and coffee granules during the brewing processis depicted. It is believed that the brewing process has three phases.It is believed that the first phase occurs just after the user placesbeverage brewing system 100 into a vessel containing hot water. As aside note, it should be understood that beverage brewing system 100 maybe placed into water as it is being heated as well, without limiting thescope of the invention. After the user places beverage brewing system100 into the hot water, it is believed that the coffee granulesinitially float to the bottom surface of the disk located immediatelyabove the coffee granules, as shown, via element 600, in FIG. 6. As thewater continues to circulate through beverage brewing system 100, it isbelieved that the coffee begins to brew, as shown, via element 602, inFIG. 6. During the brewing process, it is believed that the waterabsorbs the flavor from the coffee granules as the coffee granules beginthe process of clotting. Finally, it is believed that the coffeegranules clot. Once the coffee granules clot, it is believed that theysink back to the disk that they were originally placed on, as shown, viaelement 604, in FIG. 6. It should also be understood that the clottedcoffee granules may cling to the side of porous member 106. It is atthis point that the coffee brewing process is complete.

It is believed that the distribution of granules, i.e., coffee granules,tea granules, chocolate granules, and the like, via disks 102 provides aunique flavor, strength, and reduced brewing time, compared to the priorart, as the prior art actually causes the granules to initially float tothe surface of the water and clump together and then subsequently clot,thereby only using a small percentage of the granules' brewingpotential. Once coffee granules float to the surface of the water andclump together, those granules are no longer accessible to the water andtherefore, the water is not able to interact with those granules.Accordingly, the prior art systems brew beverages having less flavor andless strength. However, when beverage brewing system 100 is used to brewa beverage, it is believed that all of the granules remain submerged inthe water because disks 102 prevent the granules from floating to thesurface of the water. As such, beverage brewing system 100 brews abeverage with more flavor and strength than the prior art beveragebrewing systems.

After brewing a beverage with beverage brewing system 100, beveragebrewing system 100 is removed from the container, disassembled, washed,and stored leaving only a very small footprint. For example, beveragebrewing system 100 may easily be stored in a drawer or a kitchen cabinetand it fits into most travel bags, suitcases, camping equipment, and thelike. Due to its small size, it is contemplated that the beveragebrewing system 100 may be used almost anywhere, i.e., at home, at work,on vacation, in a motor home, on a boat, etc.

Turning now to FIG. 7, another embodiment of porous member 106 isillustrated comprising structural support members 702. Structuralsupport members 702 preferably extend along a substantial portion of theexternal surface of porous member 106, along vertical axis 704.Structural support members 702 may preferably comprise any plastic orsturdy material capable of being heated and may be molded to porousmember 106. Structural support members 702 preferably provide structuralsupport to porous member 106 and allow porous member 106 to fit tightlyaround disks 102 greatly reducing and/or eliminating any open spacetherebetween. Essentially, structural support members 702 provide aforce that causes porous member 106 to contract inwards against disks102 so that porous member 106 does not expand and contract during thebrewing process. By reducing and/or eliminating the space between porousmember 106 and disks 102, the coffee granules are unable to escape frombeverage brewing system 100 and into the water during the brewingprocess. While a plurality of structural support members 702 have beenshown and described, it should be appreciated that any number ofstructural support members 702 may be implemented, includingimplementing just one structural support member, without limiting thescope of the invention. It should also be appreciated that a similarstructural support member or members may be implemented around thecircumference of porous member 106 to achieve the same or similarbenefits as just described, without limiting the scope of the invention.It is further contemplated that a gasket or sealing member may beprovided around the circumference of porous member 106 to force porousmember 106 to fit tightly around disks 102, thereby greatly reducingand/or eliminating any open space therebetween.

As will be shown and described, beverage brewing system 100 may beimplemented with several types of vessels or containers. Whileparticular implementations of beverage brewing system 100 will be shownand described, it should be understood that these implementations aremerely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. For example, it should be understood that beverage brewingsystem 100 may be implemented with any vessel, without limiting thescope of the invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-10, FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of beveragebrewing system 100 implemented with a first vessel or cup 800 accordingto an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 9 illustrates a front view ofbeverage brewing system 100 implemented with a second vessel or kettle900 according to an embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 10 illustratesa front view of beverage brewing system 100 implemented with a thirdvessel or liquid dispenser 1000 according to an embodiment of theinvention.

Turning now to FIG. 8, illustrated is beverage brewing system 100 inaccordance with the teachings of an embodiment of the invention. Asshown, beverage brewing system 100 is implemented with vessel 800. Tobrew a beverage, such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate and the like,utilizing beverage brewing system 100, beverage brewing system 100 ispreferably placed inside vessel 800 and in communication with a liquid802. Liquid 802 may be any appropriate liquid, including but not limitedto any variation of water (i.e., spring water, tap water, filteredwater, and the like), without limiting the scope of the invention. Itshould be appreciated that vessel 800 may be any appropriate containerused for holding a liquid, including but not limited to a cup, a mug,and the like, without limiting the scope of the invention.

Also shown in FIG. 8 is a clip member 804. Clip member 804 is preferablyused to hold beverage brewing system 100 steady after it has been placedin liquid 802 and to prevent beverage brewing system 100 from floatingto the top of liquid 802. Clip member 804 preferably comprises twoprongs 806 and 808 and a cavity 810 therebetween. Clip member 804 may becoupled to vessel 800 by placing the top edge of vessel 800 betweenprongs 806 and 808 and sliding clip member 804 down toward the bottom ofvessel 800 until cavity 810 securely receives a portion of the side wallof vessel 800. Clip member 804 further comprises a mating member 812coextruded to prongs 806 and 808. Mating member 812 preferably comprisesa horizontal portion 814 and a vertical portion 816 so that when clipmember 804 is coupled to vessel 800, horizontal portion 814 extends fromprongs 806 and 808 in a horizontal direction towards the center ofvessel 800 and vertical portion 816 is positioned in a verticaldirection. It should be understood that clip member 804 is preferablyconstructed from any material suitable for heating, including but notlimited to synthetic plastic, without limiting the scope of the presentinvention. Moreover, clip member 804 is preferably constructed from amolded piece of plastic. While a specific clip member 804 has been shownand described, it should be appreciated that any known clip may beimplemented, without limiting the scope of the invention.

Mating member 812 preferably comprises a coupling member (not shown) onthe external surface of vertical portion 816. Coupling member (notshown) may be a molded grove that extends along the length of theexternal surface of vertical portion 816. A complementary couplingmember (not shown) is preferably provided on the external surface oftubular housing member 110. Complementary coupling member (not shown)may be a molded protrusion adapted to slidably engage and securely fitinside coupling member or groove (not shown) of vertical portion 816.While a grove and protrusion mating system have been described withrespect to coupling tubular housing member 110 of beverage brewingsystem 100 to vertical portion 816 of mating member 812, any knownmating system may be implemented to perform this function, withoutlimiting the scope of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 9, beverage brewing system 100 is illustrated inaccordance with the teachings of an embodiment of the invention. Asshown, beverage brewing system 100 is implemented with vessel 900. Tobrew a beverage, such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate and the like,utilizing beverage brewing system 100, beverage brewing system 100 ispreferably placed inside vessel 900 and in communication with a liquid902. Liquid 902 may be any appropriate liquid, including but not limitedto any kind of water (i.e., spring water, tap water, filtered water, andthe like), without limiting the scope of the invention. It should beappreciated that vessel 900 may be any appropriate container used forholding a liquid, including but not limited to a kettle, withoutlimiting the scope of the invention.

Also shown in FIG. 9 is a cap member or cover 904. Cap member 904 ispreferably used to hold beverage brewing system 100 steady after it hasbeen placed in liquid 902 and to prevent beverage brewing system 100from floating to the top of liquid 902. Cap member 904 is preferablycircular in shape and of the size necessary to securely fit over the topof vessel 900. Cap member 904 preferably comprises a circular side wall906 and an aperture (not shown). Cap member 904 may be coupled to vessel900 by placing cap member 904 over the opening 908 of vessel 900 andapplying a downward force to external surface 910 of cap member 904until side wall 906 slides over and past the top edge of vessel 900toward the bottom of vessel 900. Side wall 906 may comprise a protrusion(not shown) provided along the interior perimeter in order to snap ontoa protrusion (not shown) provided along the exterior surface of the topedge of vessel 900, similar to the way a cap snaps onto a coffee can.While a specific method for coupling cap member 904 to vessel 900 hasbeen shown and described, it should be appreciated that any known methodfor performing the same function may be implemented without limiting thescope of the invention.

Aperture (not shown) of cap member 904 is preferably provided to allowbeverage brewing system 100 to slide through cap member 904 and intovessel 900. The diameter of aperture (not shown) of cap member 904 isadapted to be slightly larger than the diameter of tubular housingmember 110 so that beverage brewing system 100 is able to fit snuglywithin aperture (not shown) of cap member 904. Aperture (not shown) ofcap member 904 is preferably provided to stabilize beverage brewingsystem 100 and prevent beverage brewing system 100 from floating to thesurface of liquid 902. It should be understood that cap member 904 ispreferably constructed from any material suitable for heating, includingbut not limited to plastic, glass, metal, any suitable syntheticmaterial, and the like, without limiting the scope of the invention.While a specific cap member 904 has been shown and described, it shouldbe appreciated that any known cap may be implemented, without limitingthe scope of the invention. To provide heat to liquid 902, vessel 900may be placed on a stove top. However, it should be appreciated thatvessel 900 may also be heated using any commonly known heating source,including but not limited to an open flame, an electric flame, anelectric source, a microwave, and the like, without limiting the scopeof the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 10, beverage brewing system 100 in accordance withthe teachings of an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Asshown, beverage brewing system 100 is implemented with vessel 1000. Tobrew a beverage, such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate and the like,utilizing beverage brewing system 100, beverage brewing system 100 ispreferably placed inside vessel 1000 and in communication with a liquid1002. Liquid 1002 may be any appropriate liquid, including but notlimited to any variation of water (i.e., spring water, tap water,filtered water, and the like), without limiting the scope of theinvention. It should be appreciated that vessel 1000 may be anyappropriate container used for holding a liquid, including but notlimited to a liquid dispenser, without limiting the scope of theinvention. Vessel 1000 preferably comprises a spout 1004, which is usedto dispense the liquid or brewed beverage contained within vessel 1000.Spout 1004 may be any commonly known spout, without limiting the scopeof the invention. Moreover, vessel 1000 may be any appropriate size,without limiting the scope of the invention.

Also shown in FIG. 10 is a cap member or cover 1006. Cap member 1006preferably contains several substantially similar features and performssubstantially similar functions as previously described for cap member904. That is, cap member 1006 is preferably used to hold beveragebrewing system 100 steady after it has been placed in liquid 1002 and toprevent beverage brewing system 100 from floating to the top of liquid1002. Cap member 1006 is preferably circular in shape and of a sizenecessary to fit securely over the top of vessel 1000. Cap member 1006may be coupled to vessel 1000 by placing cap member 1006 over theopening 1008 of vessel 1000 and applying a downward force to externalsurface 1010 of cap member 1006 until side wall 1012 slides over andpast the top edge of vessel 1000 toward the bottom of vessel 1000. Sidewall 1012 may comprise a protrusion (not shown) provided along theinterior perimeter in order to snap onto a protrusion (not shown)provided along the exterior surface of the top edge of vessel 1000,similar to the way a cap snaps onto a coffee can. While a specificmethod for coupling cap member 1006 to vessel 1000 has been shown anddescribed, it should be appreciated that any known method for performingthe same function may be implemented without limiting the scope of theinvention.

Aperture (not shown) of cap member 1006 is preferably provided to allowbeverage brewing system 100 to slide through cap member 1006 and intovessel 1000. The diameter of aperture (not shown) of cap member 1006 isadapted to be slightly larger than the diameter of tubular housingmember 110 so that beverage brewing system 100 is able to fit snuglywithin aperture (not shown) of cap member 1006. Aperture (not shown) ofcap member 1006 is preferably provided to stabilize beverage brewingsystem 100 and prevent beverage brewing system 100 from floating to thesurface of liquid 1002. It should be understood that cap member 1006 ispreferably constructed from any material suitable for heating, includingbut not limited to plastic, glass, metal, any suitable syntheticmaterial, and the like, without limiting the scope of the invention.While a specific cap member 1006 has been shown and described, it shouldbe appreciated that any known cap may be implemented, without limitingthe scope of the invention. To provide heat to liquid 1002, vessel 1000may be heated by an electric heating source. However, it should beappreciated that vessel 1000 may also be heated using any commonly knownheating source, including but not limited to, a stove top, an openflame, an electric flame, a microwave and the like, without limiting thescope of the invention.

It should also be appreciated that beverage brewing system 100 and eachof its component parts may comprise any material suitable for heating,including but not limited to plastic, glass, metal, any suitablesynthetic material, and the like, without limiting the scope of theinvention. It is further contemplated that the use of metal would makebeverage brewing system 100 extremely durable.

While the specification and figures disclose beverage brewing system 100as a generally round or tubular elongated member, it should beappreciated that beverage brewing system 100 may be fabricated in anyelongated shape, such as an elongated square shape, without limiting thescope of the invention.

It should be understood that one of the many advantages achieved byusing the beverage brewing system of the present invention is that dueto its configuration, when the beverage brewing system is removed fromthe vessel, it drains quicker than the prior art devices. This isachieved because the brewed beverage can escape through the unimpededarea above the granules and between the disks. That is, the brewedbeverage does not have to travel through the granules to escape thedevice, and therefore, is not forced to drip out of the beverage brewingsystem, as is the case in the prior art. Allowing the brewed beverage toquickly escape the beverage brewing system provides a beverage with ahigher temperature because the user is not forced to wait for the brewedbeverage to slowly drain through the coffee granules, as is the case inprior art devices. This waiting period, which occurs due to theconfiguration of prior art devices, causes the brewed beverage to coolto a significantly lower temperature than desired.

It should also be understood that this invention is not limited to thedisclosed features and other similar method and system may be utilizedwithout departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to the preferredembodiment and alternative embodiments, which embodiments have been setforth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a completedisclosure of the invention, such embodiments are merely exemplary andare not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumerationof all aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore,shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will beapparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be madein such details without departing from the spirit and the principles ofthe invention. It should be appreciated that the invention is capable ofbeing embodied in other forms without departing from its essentialcharacteristics.

1. An apparatus for brewing a beverage, the apparatus comprising: afirst elongated member having a plurality of disks stacked along an axisof the first elongated member; a filter having at least one slot andadapted to fit over the plurality of disks; and an elongated housingmember comprising first and second slots on opposite sides of theelongated housing member, the elongated housing member being adapted tofit over the filter wherein the first slot of the elongated housingmember has a width that encompasses about 30 to about 90 degrees of thediameter of the elongated housing member.
 2. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the elongated member comprises a thermometer.
 3. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer surface of theelongated housing member comprises a scale for indicating thetemperature of a liquid.
 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe filter comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:filter paper, plastic, metal, synthetic material, and combinationsthereof.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtercomprises a structural support member extending along an axis of thefilter.
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter isadapted to rotate relative to the elongated housing member by rotating abase coupled to the filter.
 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the beverage is selected from the group consisting of: coffee,tea, and hot chocolate.
 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe filter comprises a second elongated member and wherein the width ofthe slot of the filter encompasses about 30 to about 90 degrees of thediameter of the second elongated member.
 9. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the slot of the filter is about half the length of thesecond elongated member.
 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the first second slot of the elongated housing member comprisesa plurality of diagonal slots along the length of the elongated housingmember.
 11. (canceled)
 12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe first slot of the elongated housing member is about half the lengthof the elongated housing member.
 13. (canceled)
 14. A method of brewinga beverage using an apparatus comprising an elongated member, aplurality of disks, a filter, and an elongated housing member, themethod comprising: separating the elongated housing member from a baseof the apparatus to reveal at least one of the plurality of disks;filling at least one of the disks of the plurality of disks withgranules; coupling the elongated housing member to the base of theapparatus; applying heat to a liquid; and submerging at least a portionof the apparatus into the liquid.
 15. A filter assembly comprising: anelongated tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis and havingfirst and second ends at least one of which is open, wherein theelongated tubular member is formed from a water permeable filteringmaterial; and a slot formed in a side of the tubular member andseparated from the open end(s) by the material of the tubular member,said slot extending in the tubular member in a direction that is thesame as that of the longitudinal axis
 16. The filter assembly as claimedin claim 15 and further comprising a structural support member extendingalong the elongated tubular member in the direction of the longitudinalaxis.
 17. (canceled)
 18. The filter assembly as claimed in claim 15,wherein the width of the slot is about 30 to about 90 degrees of thediameter of the elongated tubular member.
 19. The filter assembly asclaimed in claim 15, wherein the elongated tubular member is flexibleenough that it can be folded flat.
 20. The filter assembly as claimed inclaim 15 wherein the elongated tubular member includes an alignmentmarking.
 21. An apparatus for brewing a beverage, the apparatuscomprising: an elongated member having a plurality of disks stackedalong an axis of the elongated member; a filter having at least one slotand adapted to fit over the plurality of disks; and an elongated housingmember comprising first and second slots on different sides of theelongated housing member, the elongated housing member being adapted tofit over the filter wherein at least one of the filter and the elongatedhousing member is rotatable relative to the other.
 22. An apparatus forbrewing a beverage, the apparatus comprising: an elongated member; aplurality of spaced-apart elements stacked on the elongated member withthe elongated member running through the center of the spaced-apartelements; a filter adapted to fit over the plurality of spaced-apartelements, the filter and spaced-apart elements forming a plurality ofbrewing chambers; and an elongated housing member enclosing the filterand the spaced-apart elements, the elongated housing member having firstand second slots on different sides of the elongated housing member topermit fluid flow through the filter between the outside of theelongated housing member and the brewing chambers.
 23. The apparatus ofclaim 22 wherein granules placed in the brewing chambers will float tothe top of the individual chambers when the apparatus is placed in waterand used to brew a beverage.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein thespaced-apart elements are circular and the filter and elongated housingmember are tubular.